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On Tuesday, I kicked off our CBB/BBR cross-posting series by looking at coaches who "changed the culture" of a program, guys whose winning percentages at a school far exceeded its mark before they arrived. The usual suspects were at the top of the list (John Wooden, Jim Calhoun, etc.), and so was John Calipari for his performance at UMass during the 90s. Trouble is, did Coach Cal really change the Minutemen forever? Or, as BBR reader "Downpuppy" put it:

"UMass is on the list twice, but both times the culture snapped back to mediocrity pretty quick."

OK, so maybe a "culture change" has to extend beyond the coach's actual tenure with the school, and also into the tenures of later coaches, who build on their successor's changes to take the school to new heights. After all, it's not really a true culture change if the program only loses the stench of mediocrity for 5 years while a coach uses the school as a stepping stone to his next gig.

To filter out such flash-in-the-pan performances from true culture-changers, I looked at the school's W-L record in all seasons before a coach arrived and compared it to the school's entire record after the year he arrived (including his tenure as HC and beyond). Again, teams had to have played at least 120 games before and after the coach arrived, and the coach had to coach at least 120 games at the school in question as well. This will capture coaches whose tenure at the helm represents the turning point for the entire history of the program, which I suppose is a better indicator of "changing the culture" than merely focusing on his actual time at the school (even though we're in essence giving Adolph Rupp credit for the coaching performances of Joe B. Hall and Rick Pitino as well).

Here's the list:

Coach

1stYear

School

G

Pre W

Pre L

Pre T

Pre WPct

Post W

Post L

Post T

Post WPct

Diff

Peck Hickman

1945

LOU

626

189

249

0

0.432

1398

582

0

0.706

0.275

Marshall Pennington

1937

UTEP

146

63

134

0

0.320

1140

791

0

0.590

0.271

Gregg Marshall

1999

WINT

277

145

220

0

0.397

227

114

0

0.666

0.268

John Wooden

1949

UCLA

767

286

283

0

0.503

1386

443

0

0.758

0.255

Howie Dickenman

1997

CCON

383

78

198

0

0.283

205

178

0

0.535

0.253

George McCarty

1954

UTEP

133

211

342

0

0.382

992

583

0

0.630

0.248

Mark Few

2000

GONZ

330

715

574

0

0.555

264

66

0

0.800

0.245

Gary Waters

1997

KENT

152

697

947

0

0.424

278

140

0

0.665

0.241

Bob Reinhart

1986

GAST

255

74

247

0

0.231

324

373

0

0.465

0.234

Dale Waters

1946

UTEP

131

136

230

0

0.372

1067

695

0

0.606

0.234

Mark Fox

2005

NEV

166

778

755

0

0.508

123

43

0

0.741

0.233

Don Haskins

1962

UTEP

1072

304

431

0

0.414

899

494

0

0.645

0.232

Jim Christian

2003

KENT

196

819

1013

0

0.447

156

74

0

0.678

0.231

Jamie Dixon

2004

PIT

208

1249

988

0

0.558

163

45

0

0.784

0.225

Kirk Speraw

1994

UCF

480

81

167

0

0.327

264

216

0

0.550

0.223

Bob Marlin

1999

SAMH

323

152

232

0

0.396

200

123

0

0.619

0.223

Dan Spika

1966

NTEX

127

45

150

0

0.231

545

670

0

0.449

0.218

Tim Cohane

1994

BUF

173

35

122

0

0.223

206

264

0

0.438

0.215

Boyd Chambers

1919

CIN

187

61

82

0

0.427

1492

833

0

0.642

0.215

Pete Gillen

1986

XAVR

277

708

682

0

0.509

548

210

0

0.723

0.214

Billy Donovan

1997

FLA

436

878

876

0

0.501

310

126

0

0.711

0.210

Dick Edwards

1964

PAC

240

94

184

0

0.338

720

593

0

0.548

0.210

Bobby Braswell

1997

CNOR

386

53

111

0

0.323

205

181

0

0.531

0.208

Bobby Paschal

1979

LALA

238

47

87

0

0.351

497

393

0

0.558

0.208

Hank Iba

1935

OKST

971

149

212

0

0.413

1326

818

0

0.618

0.206

Bo Ryan

2002

WISC

266

1151

1056

0

0.522

193

73

0

0.726

0.204

Mark Adams

1992

CCON

135

38

103

0

0.270

245

273

0

0.473

0.203

Adolph Rupp

1931

KEN

1066

205

146

1

0.584

1783

489

0

0.785

0.201

John Brady

1992

SAMF

166

177

337

0

0.344

284

238

0

0.544

0.200

Jim Calhoun

1973

NOEA

385

52

99

0

0.344

577

484

0

0.544

0.199

Ben Howland

2000

PIT

129

1160

948

0

0.550

252

85

0

0.748

0.197

Lefty Driesell

1998

GAST

162

212

445

0

0.323

186

175

0

0.515

0.193

Stew Morrill

1999

UTST

358

1119

895

0

0.556

267

91

0

0.746

0.190

Edmund Dollard

1912

SYRA

210

70

67

0

0.511

1683

739

0

0.695

0.184

Van Holt

2003

ARPB

174

17

119

0

0.125

63

142

0

0.307

0.182

Wilbur Johns

1940

UCLA

213

193

163

0

0.542

1479

563

0

0.724

0.182

Bob King

1963

NMEX

264

417

500

0

0.455

891

517

0

0.633

0.178

Jim McDonald

1983

KENT

287

504

745

0

0.404

471

342

0

0.579

0.176

Lon Kruger

1991

FLA

184

774

796

0

0.493

414

206

0

0.668

0.175

Francis Stadsvold

1920

WVIR

282

63

77

0

0.450

1487

895

0

0.624

0.174

John Maulbetsch

1922

OKST

150

53

72

0

0.424

1422

958

0

0.597

0.173

Skip Prosser

1995

XAVR

213

910

757

0

0.546

346

135

0

0.719

0.173

Todd Lickliter

2002

BUTL

192

1179

956

0

0.552

187

71

0

0.725

0.173

Bob Staak

1980

XAVR

174

620

596

0

0.510

636

296

0

0.682

0.173

Harold Anderson

1935

TOLE

183

101

135

0

0.428

1182

790

0

0.599

0.171

Larry Eustachy

1994

UTST

151

1021

842

0

0.548

365

144

0

0.717

0.169

Dan Fitzgerald

1979

GONZ

423

349

338

0

0.508

630

302

0

0.676

0.168

Jerome Jenkins

2001

CSAC

227

37

204

0

0.154

82

174

0

0.320

0.167

Donald White

1937

CONN

153

189

188

0

0.501

1310

651

0

0.668

0.167

Nolan Richardson

1981

TUL

156

663

705

0

0.485

599

321

0

0.651

0.166

Billy Tubbs

1981

OKLA

465

817

668

0

0.550

682

273

0

0.714

0.164

Danny Kaspar

2001

SFA

262

192

245

0

0.439

158

104

0

0.603

0.164

Jud Heathcote

1972

MONT

133

551

683

0

0.447

670

428

0

0.610

0.164

Dick Romney

1920

UTST

382

55

73

0

0.430

1331

913

0

0.593

0.163

Pat Page

1921

BUTL

129

61

85

0

0.418

1305

942

0

0.581

0.163

John Wiethe

1947

CIN

153

329

317

0

0.509

1224

598

0

0.672

0.163

Frank Kerns

1982

GESO

376

84

130

0

0.393

450

361

0

0.555

0.162

Gary Colson

1969

PEPP

290

129

201

0

0.391

656

531

0

0.553

0.162

Mike Montgomery

1987

STAN

560

855

781

0

0.523

493

229

0

0.683

0.160

Jimmy Tillette

1998

SAMF

356

266

414

0

0.391

195

161

0

0.548

0.157

Jimmy Earle

1970

MTEN

267

163

241

0

0.403

639

503

0

0.560

0.156

Bruce Pearl

2002

WISM

124

216

271

0

0.444

148

99

0

0.599

0.156

Fred Luehring

1913

PRIN

143

86

98

0

0.467

1466

888

0

0.623

0.155

Everett Dean

1925

IND

255

182

174

0

0.511

1459

735

0

0.665

0.154

Mike Montgomery

1979

MONT

231

659

762

0

0.464

562

349

0

0.617

0.153

Randy Bennett

2002

STMA

252

916

1063

0

0.463

155

97

0

0.615

0.152

Greg McDermott

2002

UNI

153

265

332

0

0.444

149

101

0

0.596

0.152

Dick Bennett

1996

WISC

162

1041

978

0

0.516

303

151

0

0.667

0.152

Thad Matta

2005

OSU

173

1308

936

0

0.583

127

46

0

0.734

0.151

John Thompson

1973

GTWN

835

661

560

0

0.541

815

364

0

0.691

0.150

Lute Olson

1984

ARIZ

776

936

640

1

0.594

632

218

0

0.744

0.150

Paul Landis

1926

BGU

289

50

73

0

0.407

1181

944

0

0.556

0.149

Ken Bone

2006

PORS

126

224

260

0

0.463

77

49

0

0.611

0.148

Al McGuire

1965

MARQ

375

505

445

0

0.532

918

433

0

0.679

0.148

John Calipari

2001

MEM

321

808

460

0

0.637

252

69

0

0.785

0.148

Mel Collard

1936

BOSU

127

85

143

0

0.373

833

767

0

0.521

0.148

Louis Menze

1929

IAST

319

124

213

0

0.368

1039

982

0

0.514

0.146

Sean Miller

2005

XAVR

167

1136

845

0

0.573

120

47

0

0.719

0.145

Lake Kelly

1972

AUSP

308

72

114

0

0.387

583

513

0

0.532

0.145

Tom Izzo

1996

MICS

473

1115

856

0

0.566

336

137

0

0.710

0.145

Dave Bliss

1976

OKLA

139

740

606

0

0.550

759

335

0

0.694

0.144

Eddie Hickey

1959

MARQ

162

413

375

0

0.524

1010

503

0

0.668

0.143

Bobby Dye

1984

BOIS

346

151

192

0

0.440

449

321

0

0.583

0.143

Bill C. Foster

1976

CLEM

262

545

721

2

0.431

594

443

0

0.573

0.142

Jack Nagle

1954

MARQ

124

344

320

0

0.518

1079

558

0

0.659

0.141

Mike Lonergan

2006

VERM

127

702

772

0

0.476

78

49

0

0.614

0.138

Tom Blackburn

1948

DAYT

493

294

313

0

0.484

1130

687

0

0.622

0.138

Sam McAllister

1938

FLA

223

115

157

0

0.423

1073

845

0

0.559

0.137

Eddie Sutton

1991

OKST

519

1045

838

0

0.555

430

192

0

0.691

0.136

Hugh Greer

1947

CONN

398

294

253

0

0.537

1205

586

0

0.673

0.135

Tates Locke

1971

CLEM

132

483

651

2

0.426

656

513

0

0.561

0.135

Eddie Cameron

1929

DUKE

325

192

140

0

0.578

1685

677

0

0.713

0.135

Ken Hayes

1969

TUL

186

501

546

0

0.479

761

480

0

0.613

0.135

W.O. Hamilton

1910

KAN

184

98

69

0

0.587

1872

724

0

0.721

0.134

Adrian Buoncristiani

1973

GONZ

160

271

256

0

0.514

708

384

0

0.648

0.134

Lefty Driesell

1970

MARY

507

542

514

0

0.513

801

437

0

0.647

0.134

Dave Rose

2006

BYU

131

1481

960

0

0.607

97

34

0

0.740

0.134

Johnny Jones

2002

NTEX

238

464

708

0

0.396

126

112

0

0.529

0.134

Steve Yoder

1978

BALL

139

64

85

0

0.430

533

414

0

0.563

0.133

Jim Calhoun

1987

CONN

762

942

634

0

0.598

557

205

0

0.731

0.133

Before Rick Pitino and Denny Crum, there was Bernard "Peck" Hickman. When Hickman arrived at Louisville in 1944, he inherited an historically-mediocre program that lay in ruin following the disastrous 6-year run of Lawrence Apitz and John Heldman. He proceeded to change the culture immediately, taking what had been a 10-10 squad under Walter Casey & Harold Church the previous year and posting a stunning 16-3 record in 1945, to be followed by a 22-6 mark in '46 and 29-6 in '48. With Hickman guiding them over the next 23 years, the Cardinals never had a losing record, going 443-183 for a .708 winning % that was a far cry from the .432 WPct they had prior to Hickman's arrival. After Hickman, John Dromo was a part of 3 20-win seasons in 4 years, and his successor Denny Crum was one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, leading UL to 2 National Championships and 675 wins in 30 years on the bench. Following Crum, Rick Pitino carries the torch today and has led the school to 8 consecutive 20-win seasons (including 2010). All of this can be traced directly back to Peck Hickman, which makes him #1 on our list.

And if you want high winning percentages after a coach's arrival, look no further than Mark Few, current head coach at Gonzaga University. The Zags were a solid WCC team under coach Dan Fitzgerald during the 1980s, but when he retired in 1997 they were still best known as the tiny Washington school that produced future Hall of Fame PG John Stockton. During Fitzgerald's tenure they made their first NCAA tournament (in 1995), though Dan Monson got the ball really rolling for the Bulldogs in 1999, when his upstart team marched to the Elite 8 and came within a few decisive plays down the stretch of upsetting eventual #1 UConn and going to the Final Four. Monson leveraged that success into a gig at Minnesota, but not many pundits thought Gonzaga would be able to sustain the momentum from their magical run, especially with a 38-year-old 1st-time head coach on the sidelines. However, instead of fading back into obscurity, Few has taken the Zags to new heights -- they're a staggering 290-72 under his watch since he took over in 2000, and they haven't missed the NCAA Tournament in any of his seasons as coach, a once-unthinkable accomplishment for a team that had made the tourney just 1 time in 46 years prior to their '99 run. Fitzgerald and Monson certainly planted some seeds for Gonzaga, but it has been Few who oversaw the school's growth from obscure mid-major into one of the most unlikely national powers in college basketball.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 5:41 pm and is filed under NCAA.
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5 Responses to “Changing the Culture II”

I'm afraid this list looks worse. Bob Staak? Xavier had a .510 winning percent before he arrived, and a .506 winning percent during his tenure. Afterwords Pete Gillan actually turned the program around, but Bob Staak got credit for what Pete Gillan did.

Well, that's the rub, right? The post a few days ago only credited coaches for their own tenure, which is the direction I would lean toward, but if you do that then there's the question of whether a guy really extinguished the losing culture if as soon as he left, the team went back to mediocrity. This list tries to account for that by giving a coach credit for everything that happened after he was hired, even if it happened 50 years after he retired or something absurd like that. I guess you could try to balance the two by arbitrarily reducing the weight of future seasons after a coach's tenure ended until he received no credit for seasons, say, 30 or 40 years after he was gone, but even that method is still going to have problems. In other words, there's no real easy way to approach this question.

If you have world enough & time, you could refine this to a 10 (or some other arbitrary number) year before & after method, but finding "Culture" through its tracks in WL records is a quest worthy of Mantracker.

Well, that's the rub, right? The post a few days ago only credited coaches for their own tenure, which is the direction I would lean toward, but if you do that then there's the question of whether a guy really extinguished the losing culture if as soon as he left, the team went back to mediocrity. This list tries to account for that by giving a coach credit for everything that happened after he was hired, even if it happened 50 years after he retired or something absurd like that. I guess you could try to balance the two by arbitrarily reducing the weight of future seasons after a coach's tenure ended until he received no credit for seasons, say, 30 or 40 years after he was gone, but even that method is still going to have problems. In other words, there's no real easy way to approach this question. I should note that Gillen is well ahead of Staak on this list, though. Perhaps I should limit it to one coach per school?

I think that theoretically, reducing future seasons would be best--say, a linear reduction that ends 25 years later. Practically, limiting to one coach would probably work nearly as well. As it is, Wilbur Johns of the 93-120 record is pretty high on the list!